Timex Sinclair Users Group Mile High Chapter

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TIMEX SINCLAIR USERS GROUF
MILE HIGH CHAPTER

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C/O FRANK HOLLAND, 1423 S. PEARL ST., DENVER CO 80210, 733-8103

ーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーー

OCT. 1987 ** Penumbral eclipse of the moon on the 6th. 9:53 EDT
TSUG meetings are on the 4th Thursday of every month.

This months meeting is on the 22th, at 7:30 PM, at my home.

XX FAY ATTENTION TO THIS xx

The NOV. meeting will be on the Srd Thursday (the 19th) because
of Thanksgiving. The DEC. meeting is cancelled altogether
because of the holidays.

MILE HI TSUG maintains a sub-board on THE KING'S MARKET BES.
1-303-665-6091, 8-1-NONE. Accessible thru FC-PURSUIT.

MENU SELECTIONS TO GET TO THE SUB-BOARD ARE:

(1) CONTENTS

(2) INTERESTS & USER GROUPS

(3) TIMEX-SINCLAIR

General messages for club members are addressed to "ALL".

ホネ ネネ ホネ ネネ ネネ ネネ ネネ ネネ ネネ ネネ ネネ ネネ ホキ ネネ ホホ ネネ キキ キキ ネネ ホネ キネ ネネ ネネ ホネ ホネ ネネ ネネ ネネ ホキ ネネ ホネ ネネ ネネ ※ ま

Those of you with modems who have been logging on to THE
KINGS MARKET recently may have been following the slightly
irregular installments of THE MISADVENTURES OF ROGER HUNTER AND
HIS ELECTRIC CONVERSION.

For those of you who have not been logging on, Roger has
been installing his QL in an IBM/XT case and adding a new
keyboard.

Roger has successfully completed the project and prepared a
complete write-up for publication here. While it doesn’t have
the same sense of drama (complete with cliff-hangers), it does
Provide all of the necessary information for those who would
like to perform similiar surgery on their Q@L’s.

NOTICE: Neither Roger Hunter nor the MILE-HI TSUG accept any
responsibility for damages resulting from following these
instructions. You do so at your own risk. Remember, any
tinkering with the computer completely voids your warranty and
may be hazardous to the health of your computer and the frail
threads of your patience and/or sanity.

To those of you who saw the movie "ROXANNE" and thought there
was something familiar about the town of Nelson. That is the
home of Fred Nachbaur, our very own TS-1000 guru.

The 23rd is the traditional date that the swallows LEAVE
Capistrano. And with that little tidbit from FRANKS ALMANAC OF
FICTION AND FACT we also bid a fond farewell for now.

TILL NEXT MONTH Frank

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Blank ARES are not used,

CTKL| SHIFT

Listing created 9/17/87

NOTICE: The instructions which follow are to assist you in accomplishing the
task. I will not be responsible for damages resulting from following these
instructions. You undertake this on your own responsibility. Modifying the QL in
this manner will void your warranty.

SINCLAIR QL TO IBM PC/XT CASE CONVERSION

The Sinclair QL is a fine computer, but it is hampered somewhat by a membrane
keyboard which tends to bind and a close-fitting case which causes heat problems.
If any expansion is done, such as adding disk drives and a modem, the work area
starts to get cluttered.

The solution to these problems is to insert the QL into a PC case. Removing
the top of the QL case eliminates the overheating, since the heat has more air
space to dissipate into. The PC case has ample room for disk drives, power
supplies, modems and even microdrives. I chose the PC/XT case, which has cutouts
for two full-height floppy drives. As I reconfigured it, one side is used for a
full height quad density 5 1/4" floppy drive. The other side is taken up by the
two microdrives and an external modem. It is not necessary to install both
microdrives when a floppy drive is added. mdv1_ is al! that is needed (for
booting). On the other hand, there is no reason NOT to instal! them either.

The keyboard has been replaced by a mechanical key (SPST) keyboard which
permits you to add extra keys ond reconfigure the key placement to suit yourself.
The keyboard has its own enclosure, connected to the PC case by a ribbon cable.
This allows greater flexibility in placing the units to best advantage.

You will need the following tools and supplies;
a) Phillips heod screwdriver
b) Flat head screwdriver
c) Wire cutters
d) Soldering iron

e) Solder

f) Continuity checker (multi-meter, test lomp, etc)
g) Hacksaw

h) Wire

i) Ribbon cable (25 conductor)

j) 25 pin subminiature D connectors

k) Printed circuit board with edge connectors

1) Mechanical switch keyboord

m) Keyboard enclosure (purchased or built)

Item f is o must; you have to be able to test your soldering at each step. You
can’t tel! by looking.

The following items are optional and depend on the installation methods you use
and the extra equipment you add;
a) Silicone adhesive
b) Power dril
c) Tap and die set
d) Dremel Moto—tool or the equivalent
e) Power supply
f) 32-pin edge connectors (male and female)
g) 9 pin subminiature D connectors (male and female)
h) 8 pin DIN connectors (male and female)

These instructions are written with the idea that you know very little about
computers or electronics. It’s better to give too much information in projects like
this, since what you don’t know can cause serious damage. I DO assume you can handle
the simple soldering involved. If you can’t, STOP RIGHT NOW!! There is no way you
can do this job without soldering many, many connections correctly. I also assume
you can use a meter or test lomp to check continuity in a wire. If you can’t, find
out how to do it. It’s not hard but it is absolutely necessary for success in this

project.

First off, assemble the PC case if required. Mine needed a number of small
parts fastened into it. Remove the front panel and disk drive mounting hardware to
make room to work.

If you are adding disk drives, install a PC power supply at the right rear of
the case. The case has predrilled holes for the purpose. Any unit that has enough
power for the intended purpose is fine.

Now remove the QL top cover. There are screws in the bottom holding it on, some
of which may be covered by warranty labels. (You DO know that this voids your
warranty, don’t you?) Remove the screws and sove them. Carefully lift off the cover.
It’s still attached to the motherboard by wires and plastic strips. Unplug the drive
ond power indicator lights by pulling the plug out of its socket next to the
microdrives. Unplug the keyboard by pulling the plastic strips out of their sockets.
Make sure they come out and do not tear off in the sockets.

The top cover should now be free. Lay it aside for now. Remove the heat sink
from the input power connection. It’s held on by a screw in the center. Unplug the
microdrive ribbon cables from their sockets. It takes a good pull, so be sure to
hold the sockets down to avoid overstressing the connections. Pay close attention to
what wires go where because you're going to have to put them back later. Moke notes
if necessary. Remove the microdrives. Screws in the bottom of the case ond top of
the microdrives hold them in. Remove and save the screws.

Now remove the motherboard from the case. It’s held in by small screws from
above. Remove and save them. The motherboard should lift out now. The various ports
and expansion plugs come with it. Watch out for the reset button; you must press it
in to clear the case. You now have the heart of the QL in your hands. Treat it
tenderly.

Take the motherboard to the PC case. You need to decide where to mount it which
depends on the case you selected. Remember that you must have room to plug the
cables into the back and any expansion devices into the left side. You also have to
be able to press the reset button. The only space big enough in my case is under the
disk drives. Becouse the QL is so wide, it is impossible to plug expansion modules
directly into the left side socket. Instead, an extension ribbon cable must be made
to allow such devices to be relocated either above or behind the QL. Once your
decision is finalised, mark the location on the case ond put the motherboard ina
safe place.

Go back to the QL case. This is the point of no return because you are about to
take an irreversible step. Both the microdrives and the QL need the case bottom for
attachment points. Since you are separating the components, it is necessary to cut
the case apart. A hacksow works well for this. Note the clear plastic sheet in the
bottom of the case. Use it as a guide in cutting out the section of case which holds
the microdrives in place. Do the same thing with the top of the case which is needed
to hold the cartridges down, but first remove the wiring which is wrapped around one
of the screw socket posts. You’!! probably have to cut the wires to the power
indicator light. It doesn't matter since it is not really needed. Reassemble the
microdrive case unit by replacing the microdrives, inserting and tightening the
mounting screws and inserting and tightening the cover attachment screws. You now
have the microdrives in their own Iittle case with the cables sticking out the back.
The back and one end are open. We'll deol with that later.

If your PC case is too narrow to permit the expansion port to be used intact,
you must cut off the left end of the QL case. Use the motherboard to find the
location, leaving enough case to protect the socket. Hock the rest off. Now replace
the motherboard in the remaining case bottom using the screws you saved earlier and
attach the assembly to the PC case. I decided to glue it in piace with silicone
sealer. If you want to use screws or bolts to make removal easier you will have to
attach the case before installing the motherboard. Don’t let bolts or screws touch
the motherboard; vibration could cause printed wires to wear through ond short out.

Install th» QL power supply in the PC cose in a location which allows you to
plug its lead into the QL and run the power cord out the back of the PC case.
Protect the cord where it goes thru the case with a plastic or rubber grommet. Be

careful plugging into the QL, the power connector used the lid for support. You
should add some extra support to compensate for the missing cover. Remember to leave
room for the expansion module. You have to have one for the disk drive interface at
least. If you ore buying one, the Trump cord is an excellent choice, since it
includes both memory expansion and drive interface in one unit. Now set the unit
aside and start on the keyboard assembly.

The new keyboard must hove mechanical switches with two contacts. Avoid Hall
effect or capacitance switches. They won’t work. ASCII encoded keyboards are no good
either unless you can decode them which is an extra expense. Keys which work by
shorting out two points on a printed circuit board are no good either, because you
can’t change the wiring. You want simple mechanical switches, preferably without any
Pc (printed circuit) board at all. Select a keyboard with at least 65 keys; more are
better because you can add extra features or use the extras for spares but less
won’t work.

I used a 74 key ASCII encoded keyboard with mechanical switches. I had to
remove the pc board and it’s no fun. The Dreme! Moto—tool heips. If your keyboard
has such a pe board it must be removed becouse it has wires connecting the switches
together in ways you don’t want. Cut the board into pieces, unsolder the connections
and remove the pieces. It’s possible to simply cut through al! the printed wires but
BEWARE! There are usually wires on both sides of such boards and you have to cut ALL
of them.

The QL uses a keyboard matrix to decide which key has been pressed. This means
that your keyboard must be wired the same way if you expect it to work correctly.
However, the position of the keys doesn’t matter at all. All that counts is that the
keys ore wired together correctly. Your first task is to decide on the physical
layout of the keys. This will be influenced by the keyboard plate itself, which
usually contains rectangular holes to hold the key switches in place. You can move
the key caps or you can move the switches themselves to whatever positions suit you.
The main letter keys are pretty standard (QWERTY etc.) but if you want a DVORAK,
fine. I considered o layout to simplify things for one-fingered right-handed
typists. Maybe later.... I moved the function keys to the right side and the arrow
keys to a T shaped section on the right also. I put a CONTROL key below the ARROW
keys in addition to the one on the left side. ALT is there too. Now I have
one-handed editing with thumb on CONTROL ond fingers on the ARROWs. Use your
imagination. What else would make life easier for you? Duplicate keys ore easy. Put
an extra CONTROL key in, or a right-side TAB key, whatever helps. It’s possible to
have one key do several things, CTRL-SHIFT-F2 for example, but this involves battery
powered relays and such, and 1 decided against it. Suit yourself on this, it depends
on your electrical skills. The one thing you CAN’T do is add new kinds of keys
because if they aren’t in the QL keyboard matrix already, there's no way to add
them.

Once your keyboard suits you, flip it over and label all the keys on the back
side because that’s where you'll be working from now on. Make two copies of your
keyboard layout on paper as seen from the bock side. Label one "Plug J11’ and the
other "Plug J12’. Now look ot the QL matrix diagram. The rows are numbered from 1 to
9 and the columns are numbered from 1 to 11. These numbers refer to the wires in
plugs J11 and J12 on the motherboard where the plastic strips were plugged in. The
wires are numbered from left to right in each plug as seen with the QL in normal
operating position. You must wire your keyboard exactly this way.

Take the paper copy morked J11. Draw a line connecting each key in row 1 to
every other key in row 1. Find a way to do it with one continuous line...no Y or X
connections if possible. Run the line off the top of the diagram and label it with
the row number. The line represents the path to be taken by the wire you are going
to install and you want to solder only one wire to each terminal if possible just to
minimize your work. Repeat with all the other row numbers. Always connect to the
some key switch terminal in each case. (The other one is for the column wires.
Actually, it wouldn’t matter if you mixed them but you’d have a hard time keeping
trock of things if you did.) Repeat the process on the second sheet, this time
connecting all the keys in each of the columns, using the other key switch terminal.

You now have a custom wiring diagrom for your keyboord layout. Heot up your
soldering iron and go to it. I found that wirewrap wire works well. It’s insulated
and very flexible. Wrap it once or twice around the terminal and solder away. The

e

heat melts away the insulation, permitting a connection. Note that a wirewrap tool
won’t work because you don’t have wirewrap posts on the keys. Follow your wiring
diagram carefully. If you have added duplicate keys, just be sure the correct wires
run to them as wel! as to the original key. As you finish each wire, run about 6
inches of extra wire to the top of the keyboard and either label it or solder it
directly into a 25 pin D plug. Keep the J11 and J12 wires separated. I put the J12
wires in the top and the J11 wires in the bottom. It doesn’t matter as long as you
know WHERE they are. Test each wire with the continuity checker. Saves going back
later when it doesn’t work!!

Once all the wiring is done and tested, check it against the QL matrix. For
example, the R key has wires J11/3 and J12/5 attached to it. Hook your tester to
pins J11/3 and J12/5, press the R key and see if you have continuity. If not,
correct your error. Repeat for the other keys. When you're finished you’!l! have what
looks like a rat’s nest of wiring on the bock of the keyboard. Don’t worry about it.
It may not be pretty, but it WORKS. (Doesn’t it?)

If you purchased a keyboord enclosure, make whatever changes may be needed to
make it fit your keyboard. If you're building your own, naturally you will make it
to fit. Plastic, aluminum, wood or even Masonite work quite weii enough. Appearance
is up to you. Be creative.

Now install the keyboard in its enclosure. The D plug attaches to the back
ponel. If the wires are not attached, do so and do the test described above,
checking each key for correct hookup. Make an extension cable out of 25 conductor
ribbon cable with a 25 pin D socket on each end. This can be as long as you wish. It
depends on where you will be placing the socket on the PC case, front or back.
Remember if you are using solderless sockets that there is more than one way to
install them, but only one CORRECT way! Use your continuity che: xer to be sure.

You must make two cables to plug into sockets J11 and J12 on the motherboard.
The QL had two strips of plastic stuck in there but you con’t solder to them. You
hove to moke new plugs to fit the sockets. Get a printed circuit boord with 10 edge é
connectors per inch. Cut two strips out of the edge connector section, one with 9 W
conductors and one with 11 conductors. Use the Dremel to grind the bock side of
these strips oway. You want to reduce the pe board material to a uniform thickness
of about 1/32 inch. It has to be thin enough to fit into the socket but thick enough
to take the strain. Cut and fit is indicated here.

Here’s a point to consider. If you plan on placing the monitor on top of the PC
case a front keyboard plug is easier to get at. On the other hand, if you plan on
placing the monitor BELOW the PC, a back plug is better. I wish I had thought of
this sooner! My desk places the monitor at steep downward angle behind the keyboard
which makes it eosier to read, especiolly if you have bifocals or reading glasses.
The PC sits on a shelf above the monitor. Since I put the plug in front, the new
ribbon cable dangles in front of the monitor which is not a good idea. A longer
extension cable will cure the problem by running under the PC and down, but a back
plug would have been better.

Bock to work. Take a length of ribbon cable long enough to reach from the
sockets to the front (or rear) wall of the PC case, wherever you want the keyboard
to plug in. Strip off a 9 wire and 11 wire portion. Solder the ends to the edge
connectors you just mode up. The other ends are soldered to the pins of the 25 pin D
plug EXACTLY like the plug on the keyboard is arranged. Ribbon cable wires are very
fine so you may wish to connect adjacent pairs together to make heavier wires. (If
so, remember to double the wire count!!) Attach the D plug to the PC case and plug
the strips into J11 and J12.

Time for a first test. Plug the monitor into the QL socket, the keyboard
extension cable into the plug on the PC case and the keyboard, the QL power lead
into the QL and the power cable into the wall socket. You should see the opening

screen (F1 ... Monitor etc). If not, well, win some, lose some! ! Throw the whole
mess in the trash, buy a new QL and start over. Or, if you don’t care for that idea,
start tracing backward. You’ve made an error somewhere. The QL will not work without

the keyboard plugged in, so that’s the first thing to check. Are the plugs in?

Straight? Far enough? Unplug them and check each line for continuity. All OK? Still

doesn’t work? Check the extension cable the same way. Still no luck? Recheck the iia.
keyboard. If it’s OK, you're in real trouble. You’ve managed to damage the { ]

As

motherboard some way. Your only recourse now is to find a service center that can
help you. Or order o QL kit for $75, which would probably be cheaper than a service
center. And this time, BE MORE CAREFUL!!

Assuming the first test was successful, test all the keys by typing them while
the QL is on. Moke sure each key writes correctly to the screen, both upper and
lower cose. You may find some that don't. If so, check the wiring for that key. Bad
solder joints are the usual reason. Check for continuity across the key terminals
with the key NOT pressed; the key may be shorted internally. Look for continuity at
the cable plug, checking from the key terminal to the plug pin. If it is open you
have a bad joint in that wire. Find and fix. If the wiring checks OK, try shorting
between the terminals with a piece of wire. If the character prints on the screen,
the key switch is bad. Try contact cleaner. If that fails, replace the switch. You
probably have some extras if you got a 74 key keyboard.

If the memory test fails (that multicolor pattern when you first turn the QL
on) and the screen locks up or turns green or some such, the problem is likely to be
in the J11 and/or J12 plugs. Look for shorted wires or a plug in crooked enough to
cross-connect the conductors. NEVER assume it’s the QL; the machine is surprisingly
tough.

When all keyboard problems have been fixed you are ready to install the
microdrives. You probably need to make longer cables if you relocated the
microdrives. Cut about an inch off each old cable, strip the ends of both pieces of
all four cables, and splice in enough wire to make them os long as you need. Tape or
otherwise insulate your splices to prevents shorts when the cables get bent into
place.

Mount the drives wherever you decided to put them, remembering that you have to
be able to get ot the bottom of the case to remove the drives (so don’t glue them
down unless there are access holes). The open side of the case weakens it, so fasten
a metal or plastic support from the PC case to the top of the microdrive case. If
you wish to mount both microdrives in a floppy drive opening, you will have to cut
awoy part of the PC case opening frame to get it to fit. The two microdrives are
just a little bit too wide.

Plug the cables into the proper sockets. This can be difficult, since you have
seven small wires to get into seven small holes all at once. You have to force them
in without bending any of them under. Tinning them can help stiffen them, but don’t
get them thicker or they won't fit the holes. Not much to go wrong here unless you
plug them in bockwords or something. Plug the microdrive lights back into the
motherboard. (Splice in extra wire if necessary.) The lights can be relocated if you
wish, or you can reploce them with LEDs (Light Emitting Diodes). This also applies
to the QL "Power On’ light. Replace the heat sink which attaches to the input power
connection.

The rest depends on the extra equipment you're adding. Make an extension cable
for the disk interface or whatever you are plugging into the left expansion port.
You could run it outside the PC case, but that would defeot the purpose in doing all
this in the first place! Mount and piug in any extra drives or disks. Serial ports
and joystick ports can be extended to the PC case wall or not as you wish. Frequency
of use may be the deciding factor here. Those plugs aren’t cheap. If you don’t use
them too often, just open the PC case lid, plug in to the QL and go. (The same
principle applies to the ROM port as well.) The monitor plug should probably be one
to move. Don’t bother trying to move the existing plug; use an extension cable to
plug into the QL ond attach to the PC case in back.

Your computer is back in operation now but you do have one problem. Some of the
keys ore mislabeled, especially the upper-case characters. I don’t have a good
solution for this. You can make stick-on labels like I did or try repainting them.

One last item. The reset button needs to be reachable, but it isn’t easily
removed from the QL. I drilled a hole in the PC case and ran a rod from the switch
out the hole. A tube inside the case supports it. The rod is bigger in diameter
inside the case than outside, so it can’t fall out.

Time for the final test. Plug in QL power and PC power, turn on PC power switch
and GO!! If not, tough luck. Start rechecking, working backward.

COMMERCIAL MESSAGE

If you feel confident in your abilities and want to try it on your own,
assemble the various components and have at it. There are any number of mail-order
houses which can supply keyboards and such. I got my case and keyboard from Jameco.
Radio Shack is good for some items, although they don’t stock the B-pin DIN plugs
for the monitor.

If you would like to save some time and effort, the keyboard I used is
available in a kit which includes the keyboard, wirewrap wire and the two keyboard
motherboard plugs. (You supply the ribbon cable and piugs because I don’t know what
you'!| need.) The price of the kit is $19.95 postpaid. You already have the
instructions.

If you feel that the job is beyond you, don’t despair. You can order your own
customised keyboard with new motherboard plugs attached for only $129.95 postpaid.

The keyboard enclosure is not included because they’ re unreasonably priced.
You're better off making your own. If money is no object, add $59.95 for a keyboard
enclosure custom fitted to your vey layout.

If you wont the whole thing done for you, send me your QL, the keyboard
diagram, any extra equipment (such as disc drives or modems) and a check for
$349.95. If I can’t fit it all into the cose we'll discuss your options.

If you don’t want to use your own QL, a QL kit costs an extra $75. This is the
QL in pieces, not a bad way to go from MY position. Soves on disassembly work. No
softwore or manuals with the kit.

You don’t have a QL? Add on extra $199.95 for a new one, which includes
software and manuals.

The time required will depend on the amount of work you want me to do for you.
Allow a week for a bare keyboard, two weeks for keyboard and enclosure, G month or
more for the whole conversion.

A word of caution; since this is custom work, no refunds are possible. 1
guarantee that the equipment I supply will work os described. Defects in the
equipment you provide (if any) are your problem. If you send any equipment with your
order, be sure to insure it. I don’t fix broken hardware unless I breok it.

Roger Hunter

R. W. Enterprises
5419 Omaha Place
Boulder, CO 80303

(303) 494-3933